Dairy, Gluten and Nut Free Cake

Asked by swalk. Answered on 2nd August 2015

Full question

Hello, I have my daughter in law coming to stay and she is gluten and dairy free, and my son has a nut allergy. Could I make the Lemon Polenta Cake and use something else instead of almonds? And are there any other recipes that would suit both their needs? Thank you, for much needed help, Sue

Our answer

Nigella's Lemon Polenta Cake (from Kitchen and on the Nigella website) is a popular gluten free cake and can be made dairy free by substituting 150ml (2/3 cup) of light and mild olive oil for the 200g (13 tablespoons) butter. However the ground almonds (almond meal) are important as they help to keep the cake moist. Without the almonds it would be dry and too crumbly.

We would suggest looking at Nigella's recipe for Chocolate Cloud Cake (from Nigella Bites and on the Nigella website). The cake is made with melted chocolate, butter and whisked eggs. However for this recipe it would be possible to use a vegan margarine instead of the butter. Most dark (bittersweet) chocolate is dairy free but do check the packaging on the chocolate bar for more information. The cake is usually topped with whipped cream, but this could be served separately for the guests who can eat dairy. We would suggest serving the cake with slightly tart fruits, such as raspberries, to offset the richness of the cake if cream is not suitable. Also watch out for Nigella's new book, Simply Nigella, which will have many exciting dairy and gluten free baking recipes.